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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. march — the month
  3. cue — a hint
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. suit — in cards
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. wake — a trail
  8. cue — a signal
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. kid — child
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. march — the month
  17. sharp — clever
  18. suit — clothes
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. march — music
  21. cue — for pool
  22. kid — to tease
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. suit — to fit

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com